The Greenroof Hotel's supervising security guard saw Knights prop Jacob Saifiti acting aggressively and had grounds to kick him out of the Hamilton pub - but failed to do so - more than 30 minutes before Mr Saifiti was punched outside the venue, a court has heard.
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The lawyer defending the man who threw the punch alleged in court on Tuesday the Knights player was "protected" at the venue.
Dane Marsden Cordner, the brother of NSW Blues and Sydney Roosters skipper Boyd, was charged with reckless grievous bodily harm for striking Mr Saifiti just before 2.30am on December 1 last year, which caused Mr Saifiti to fall and break his ankle.
Mr Cordner, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the charge on the grounds of self defence.
Jared Nott, the security guard in charge at the Greenroof Hotel on the night of the incident, gave evidence on the second day of Mr Cordner's local court hearing in Newcastle on Tuesday.
The court heard that Mr Nott knew both Mr Saifiti and Mr Cordner, but failed to name them in the incident report that was filed over the encounter that ended with Mr Cordner's punch.
Nor did Mr Nott mention Mr Saifiti's name in an incident report of an encounter between the NRL forward and a patron in the pub's pokie room just before 1am - which was captured on CCTV.
Despite saying he witnessed the Knights player behaving aggressively towards the patron, Mr Nott did not remove Mr Saifiti, 23, from the venue.
"That's grounds to kick someone out?" Mr Cordner's barrister Jack Tyler-Stott asked Mr Nott during cross-examination.
"Yes," Mr Nott replied.
Mr Tyler-Stott argued Mr Nott wanted to protect Mr Saifiti and the reputation of the hotel - something the security guard denied.
When Mr Tyler-Stott alleged Knights players received special treatment at the pub, Mr Nott denied this.
Magistrate Robert Stone asked Mr Nott why Mr Saifiti's name was not mentioned in the report.
"It's not because he's a Knights player, is it?" he asked, to which Mr Nott replied: "No".
Mr Cordner does not deny striking Mr Saifiti.
Two of Mr Cordner's friends who were at the Greenroof Hotel the night of the incident - Justin Burns and Ryan Finn - gave evidence and were cross-examined later on Tuesday.
The prosecution pointed out several instances where evidence given by both Mr Burns and Mr Finn about what happened in the lead-up to the punch did not match what was depicted in CCTV footage recorded on the night.
The court heard that Mr Burns was the person who grabbed Mr Saifiti by the throat - before the altercation with Mr Cordner - and was thrown face-down onto the ground by security guard Brock Stiles as a result.
Mr Burns told the court Mr Saifiti stood over his convulsing body and said "I am protected, I am protected".
However the prosecution argued that CCTV footage of Mr Burns on the ground after being thrown did not show Mr Saifiti standing over him.
He said Mr Cordner intervened to help him and when Mr Saifiti continued to approach, "Dane had no other choice but to hit him".
During her evidence, Mr Cordner's partner Kiera Howard said the accused had not been acting in an aggressive manner the night of the punch, despite the prosecution alleging otherwise throughout cross-examination.
Ms Howard said Mr Saifiti had repeatedly verbally challenged Mr Cordner in the lead-up to the punch, saying on more than one occasion "have a go now, Cords [Mr Cordner]" and at one point telling him he was "a nobody".
Mr Saifiti denied saying this when he was cross examined on Monday.
The hearing continues.
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